


Dear Rabbit

by FenyxNyteRyder



Category: 2P Hetalia - Fandom, Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Anthropomorphic, Anthroverse, F/M, Flashbacks, Fluff, FrUK, Francest, M/M, Red Velvet Pancakes - Freeform, Veggie Burgers - Freeform, Wolves and Rabbits
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-11
Updated: 2016-05-11
Packaged: 2018-06-07 19:55:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,608
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6821812
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FenyxNyteRyder/pseuds/FenyxNyteRyder
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>James is a wolf, despite how much he tries to deny his nature and disagrees with the way that the rest of his pack views other Anthros, which is ultimately what led to his expulsion from his pack. Wounded and starving in the middle of a forest during the harshest tides of winter, the wolf has all but accepted his fate until one chance encounter brings him face-to-face with a rabbit. A rabbit that he'd fallen in love with and had thought that he would never see again.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. In the Tides of Winter

**Author's Note:**

> Characters: Matthew (Canada), James (2p!Canada), Adelaide (Nyo!America), Alfred (America), Arthur (England), Seraphine (Nyo!France), Nicolette (Nyo!Canada), Thomas/Tommy (2p!America), Angelique (2p!Nyo!France), Jacques (2p!France)
> 
> [Most of these characters don't show up until later chapters.]

It was cold. It was always so cold there in the winter. Snow drifted around the wolf as he curled in closer on himself, pulling his furs closer around his shoulders. The thin, barren trees offered little shelter from the icy wind that bit against his skin. His feet and hands had been numb for days. It felt like he’d never be able to feel with them again. His tongue swiped over his chapped lips, barely wincing at the taste of the blood or the sting from the swollen split. Heavy bruising dotted ivory skin in an ugly patchwork of purples, greens, and faded yellow. Hunger gnawed at his stomach. When was the last time that he had eaten? He wasn’t sure. Though it must have been before he had been exiled from his pack a week earlier. Now he was alone. His golden brown ears drooped at the thought, pressing down into long, thick strawberry blonde hair.

Clawed fingers pressed against the wound on his chest. It was a week old, but it hadn’t had a chance to heal completely or properly yet, so it still oozed and dripped the occasional splatter of crimson onto the otherwise flawless white expanse of snow. He knew that he’d need to hunt to be able heal correctly. To survive. He couldn’t stand the thought of killing anything else though, even if it went against his nature. That’s why he couldn’t stand the thought of staying with the rest of his pack, the majority of whom enjoyed killing for sport. He tried to stand up for his beliefs. He tried to tell the others that if they kept killing other creatures and Anthros that soon they would starve. They would be hated and feared more than they already were.

To James, it wasn’t worth it. That’s why he spoke out. That’s why he had been beaten and cast out of the pack. It still left a bitter taste in his mouth, how his brother Thomas just stood by and watched helplessly, grief deep within those hazel eyes, too scared to speak out to try to stop the others from hurting James lest he himself received corporeal punishment as well. How his mother Angelique had fled back to her den, unable to watch as her eldest son was beaten and mauled by his own father Jacques among a few other of their packmates. James should’ve known that he wouldn’t be able to rely on his family. The betrayal still stung nonetheless. Or perhaps that was just the bitter cold that continued to sting his skin, sending shivers down his spine as he limped along, stumbling over a hidden rock and plunging into a snowdrift.

It took far longer to pull himself out of the snow than James would ever like to admit that it did. The cold was quickly sapping whatever remaining strength that he had left. He needed to find shelter. But where? It wasn’t like there were any caves nearby for him to hole up inside; the pack had taken residence in the only ones that were in the area (that he knew of anyways) and there weren’t any other wolf packs around for…miles. The sinking sensation of dread that had been filling his stomach suddenly multiplied as realization swept through him, causing the wolf to stagger and lean against a tree for support, moisture beading at the corners of his eyes.

He was going to die out here. He was injured. He had no food. No water. No shelter from the freezing cold. From the looks of the weather, it was only going to become colder, fresh snowflakes drifting from the sky as the sun was on the verge of setting beyond the horizon. He was going to end up dying alone in the woods, and his brother would never know what had happened to him. His stomach lurched at the idea, the wolf falling onto his hands and knees as he coughed up what little stomach contents that he still had, which mainly consisted of bile and stomach acid and small flecks of blood. His throat and nose burned afterwards. He just wanted to curl up and wait for spring to arrive, when it would be warm again.

A sudden shift in the wind caused him to stiffen, mouth watering as the scent of something meaty met his nose. The wolf’s stomach gurgled in protest. He was hungry. He needed food. And that smell was all the encouragement it took for James to stagger back to his feet, sniffing the air as he padded as silently as possible through the snowy forest. A crack sounded from a branch being stepped on a bit to his right, and suddenly, the wolf was sprinting through the snow, giving chase to what he assumed was an animal that he was following. On closer inspection though, one would’ve noticed that the footprints were distinctly humanesque in shape. That could only mean that it was either a human or another Anthro that the wolf was chasing.

Once the other was in sight, his form obscured by a hooded cloak, James pounced, knocking both himself and the other person over. They were sent tumbling down a small hillside in a flailing ball of limbs, the wolf scrabbling to find some kind of purchase on the blonde, eventually resulting in him biting down on the other’s arm. Sharp teeth managed to pierce skin through the other’s clothing, resulting in a short scream of pain before a fist connected with the side of James’s face and knocked him loose. The wolf sprawled out on his back in the snow, dazed as he attempted to clear his head, the whole world seeming to be spinning. He almost felt like he was going to vomit again. Normally, it would’ve taken more than that one hit to put him into such a state, but given his current weakness and malnourishment, it was only logical.

A sharp kick was delivered to his side, causing the air to rush from his lungs. It hurt to inhale. Actually, it hurt to move for that matter, someone’s foot pressing down on his gut to keep him from moving. Peeling open his eyes that he hadn’t even realized he had closed, the world seemed to go still as he stared up at the person above him, resisting the urge to flinch at the cold blade of a spear that was pressing against his neck.

It took a few agonizing moments to realize just who it was that had him pinned down. A rabbit Anthro. Honey blonde hair fell just below his jaw, a pair of matching coloured rabbit ears nestled on top of his head. Two pairs of violet eyes stared at each other, neither of them daring to move or make a sound apart from their gasping breaths that clouded in the frigid air.

James was the first to make the connection, his mind dredging up a string of old memories from years earlier. It seemed impossible, and yet… “M…Matthew…?”

The rabbit’s expression changed from one of anger and fear to one of confusion, though his grip on the shaft of the spear never wavered. James could see the moment that the spark of recognition alighted in the rabbit’s eyes, his lips moving to form a single word, though the figure on the ground couldn’t hear it. _James…?_

The wolf’s world went black.


	2. Reminiscing Spring

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which James thinks of warmer times with his brother and the first time that he met Matthew.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Flashbacks are in italics.

_It was warm. Spring usually was. It was a time of rebirth and growth. A time for animals to crawl out of their dens and nests and burrows and to revel in the sweetening air that was permeated with the scent of newly blossoming flowers as the remnants of the winter snow melted away. It was a peaceful time.  
_

_But it was also a time for predators to resume bountiful hunting. Especially the wolves. Spring was a time to feast. With most of the adult and teen wolves out trying to find food for the rest of the pack after a period of near starvation, it left the pups with less supervision than normal._

_Two of said pups were currently tumbling around together on the ground, growling and roughhousing. They were the same age. Twins. Something unheard of among wolves, though there was an obvious size difference between them. The strawberry blonde was larger than his brother, taller and stronger, whereas the brunette had always been smaller and weaker, borderline frail. A runt, the other adults would say. It was probably the entire reason why only one child in a pair of wolf twins ever survived: the stronger one would usually end up stealing everything from the weaker of the two, almost always killing the weaker one in the process._

_It was a miracle that they were both standing there. Though perhaps it wasn’t as odd as it may have initially seemed for such an anomaly. The strawberry blonde wolf was fiercely protective of his younger brother after all. Even when they got into their fights, it was usually just as a way to cope or to help strengthen up the younger pup._

_The two continued to tumble around on the ground before the older pup pinned the brunette to the ground, nipping his ear which resulted in a whine escaping the younger one. “That’s not fair and you know it, Jamie,” the brunette muttered with a pout that only a six year old could muster._

_James snorted, rolling off of his brother and briefly checking him over for any wounds that would show that their roughhousing got a bit too rough. “Of course. That’s why you gotta get stronger and stop being so picky with what you eat, Tommy.”_

_Thomas snorted softly, sitting up and running his fingers through the thick dark brown fur of his tail. “It just tastes really weird to me, though,” he mumbled, glancing around the little area that was in front of their caves. The wolf that was supposed to be looking after them wasn’t paying attention to them, too distracted by trying to control one of the other rowdier pups. Just then, a wide smirk spread across the brunette’s face. Grabbing his brother’s arm, he pulled the bigger wolf towards him, leaning up to whisper in his ear, “Jamie~ Let’s go explore~ C’mon~.”_

_A frown tugged at James’s lips, hesitation and concern spreading across his features as he glanced over at the guard. He knew that they really shouldn’t leave. They would get in trouble if they got caught. They could get lost or hurt. They needed to stay by the den. He knew that, but…he couldn’t stop the curiosity that bubbled at the back of his mind. Plus seeing the excitement sparkling in his brother’s hazel eyes and wagging tail made his resolve to stay home waver._

_Sighing, James chewed on his lip, shaking his head and shifting into a crouch. Glancing one last time over at the adult wolf who seemed to have ducked inside of one of the caves to deal with something, he ushered his brother towards the edge of the clearing. “Alright. Hurry,” he muttered, rolling his eyes as Thomas pulled him into a brief hug and trotted over to the trees. After making sure that he wouldn’t be spotted, James hurried after the smaller pup, finally relaxing once the den was out-of-sight._

_Tommy grabbed his brother’s hand when the blonde finally caught up, tugging him along through the woods a bit before finally giving up. “Slow~” he teased, darting ahead and pausing to inspect anything that caught his interest._

_James trailed after him more slowly, rolling his eyes as he stalked through the undergrowth, making sure to try to remember the path they took so that they’d be able to find their way back. He always made sure that his brother was in his sight. His parents would kill him if anything ended up happening to Thomas. Of that, he was certain.  
_

_The sound of a branch breaking, a body tumbling along the ground, and a yelp of pain snapped him out of his thoughts, small shoulders tensing as he realized that his brother was nowhere to be found. Shit. “Tommy?” he called out softly, nervousness coiling in his stomach. Silence answered him. “Thomas! You better not be playing a prank on me, you little shite,” James growled out, lifting his nose into the air and sniffing, trying to find his brother’s scent and following the trail._

_Coming to the edge of a ravine, the wolf pup nearly lost his footing among the fallen leaves on the ground, having to dig his claws into an exposed root to keep from tumbling down the steep incline. His eyebrows furrowed together as he scanned the area. A distinct scent hit his nose, making him pale. Blood._

_Scrambling down the ravine carefully, his eyes widened with fear, his throat seeming to constrict as he fell to his knees. Tears beaded at the corners of his eyes. The smaller pup had ended up falling down the ravine, now lying still at the bottom near a large rock that was at the edge of a stream. Crawling over to his brother, a choked sob tore itself from his lips, his fingers shakily moving to run through Thomas’s hair. James’s pale skin came back stained with crimson. He’d hit his head on the rock, and head wounds tended to bleed a lot._

_Whimpering softly, James pulled Thomas into his arms, curling around the other protectively as he licked the wound briefly. Violet eyes searched his brother carefully, the slightest bit of relief making his shoulders relax as he registered the tell-tale rise and fall of the pup’s chest, weak breaths rattling in his twin’s lungs. Tommy was still alive. James’s ears pressed flat against his head, tail drooping as he looked back up at the steep slope that went back up to the top of the ravine, eyes wide with fear. There was no way that he’d be able to carry his brother back home. If Thomas had been conscious, then perhaps he would’ve managed it, but with the state that the other wolf was in, it would only be more dangerous for both of them. Though at their current position, they could easily become prey for some larger animals, like bears, or Anthros that hated the wolves and would jump at any chance to gain revenge on their kind._

_A rustling in the bushes across the stream made James’s ears press against his head, lips drawn back in a snarl as a low warning growl rumbled in his chest. When he saw what stepped out of the bushes, his growl died on his lips, violet eyes widening. A child rabbit Anthro–who honestly couldn’t be too much older than the two wolf pups; he seemed maybe about eight or nine years old?–with wavy honey blonde hair and shining lavender eyes stood on the opposite bank of the stream. Both rabbit and wolf stared at each other, frozen in place, both too uncertain and wary to make a move._

_It was only when the smaller wolf pup groaned and began to stir slightly that James finally looked away from the rabbit, worry for his brother overriding everything else. Sharp teeth worried his bottom lip as he buried his nose into Thomas’s light brown hair. “Idiot…” he muttered, uncertain and uncaring if his twin could hear him._

_Blinking as he heard footsteps approaching, James narrowed his eyes, clutching Thomas closer to him as he looked up to see that the rabbit had crossed the stream. The blonde’s hands were held out in front of him in a non-threatening gesture. There was a wet rag in one hand. “Here. For his head. To help clean off the blood.”_

_James glared at the hand as though it had personally offended him, his nose wrinkling up as he glanced between the rag and the rabbit’s face. Eventually the wolf stretched out his hand, snatching the rag from the rabbit’s hand and dabbing it against Thomas’s forehead as he kept one eye on the other Anthro from the corner of his eye._

_Thomas groaned, eyebrows scrunching together as he took a few shaky breaths, drawing James’s attention once again to the wolf pup in his arms, his ears perking up slightly. An unfocused hazel eye fluttered open, looking around unsteadily. "Shit… M'head hurts…” came the soft whimper. “Jamie~… Love me~…”_

_The elder pup rolled his eyes with a snort, continuing to dab the rag at the blood. He didn’t really know what he was doing, but this had to be better than nothing, right? “You’re hopeless,” he muttered, nuzzling against him regardless._

_“Is he going to be okay?”_

_The question caused James to flinch, narrowing his eyes and holding Thomas tighter. Glowering over at the rabbit, the wolf shifted around slightly to take in the other’s posture.  
_

_The honey blonde was kneeling nearby, forearms resting on his knees as he balanced on the balls of his feet. He seemed relaxed, though in an instant, he could be prepared to hop up and run away…or fight. There was curiosity and concern in his gaze however. His expression seemed so…open and honest that James’s glare began to waver before falling away. If anything, the rabbit’s gaze made him feel a bit uncomfortable and exposed. Not physically, necessarily, but perhaps mentally. Emotionally._

_Face flushing in indignation, James huffed softly, opening his mouth to reply when he was cut off by his brother shifting around and shakily sitting up though he leaned heavily on the older pup. “I’ll survive, hun. Ain’t nothin’ gonna keep me down for long,” Tommy slurred out, a wide smirk on his face as he curled into his brother._

_“Shut up, runt,” James scoffed, grimacing as Thomas slumped onto his lap. Rolling his eyes, he reached up and brushed some of the pup’s hair out of his face. Glancing back over at the rabbit, James worried his lip between his teeth before ducking his head, cheeks flushing lightly. “He’ll be fine…”_

_“Matthew,” the rabbit stated, a small smile on his lips._

_“…James,” he found himself responding._

James…

_“It’s nice to meet you, James,” Matthew murmured before asking, “Do you need any help?” The wolf pup couldn’t help but notice the nervous twitch in the other’s long ear.  
_

_“…No, I’m fine,” James lied. “I can get him home.”_

“James…”

_“Don’t lie if you actually need help,” the rabbit mumbled, tilting his head to the side with a frown.  
_

_“I’m…” The wolf flushed and looked away, ears pressing back against his head before he let out an exasperated sigh. “It was an accident. We shouldn’t have gone away from home… I didn’t mean for him to get hurt. Honest…”_

“James…” the voice murmured, causing the wolf’s eyebrows to scrunch together as he felt fingers brushing against his forehead, smoothing his hair out of the way. 

_“It’s fine. I’ll help you. Let’s get you back home…” Matthew trailed off, eyebrows drawing together in thought. “…The others don’t know that you left home, do they?” the rabbit asked slowly, cautiously, as though he were afraid that the question might cause the pup to run away.  
_

_Biting his lip, James hunched his shoulders, slowly shaking his head as he rested his chin on top of his brother’s head, earning a small groan from the brunette. “We’re not supposed to leave. And they’ll hurt you if they find out you were with us. They don’t like strangers… They don’t like Others like you…” His voice was small as he spoke, betraying just how scared he really was. “They’ll be able to smell you…”_

_The rabbit paused, chewing lightly on his lip for a few moments in silence before a small smile spread across his face. “Hey, I’m sure it’ll be fine. You need the help after all.” He stood up and cautiously made his way closer to the wolf pup, extending a hand._

“James…” the voice came a little more insistently, the hand moving down to cup his cheek. A shiver ran down his spine.

_James let out a shuddering breath before giving a small nod, adjusting his grip around his brother’s waist. Gripping onto the proffered hand, he hauled himself and Thomas to a stand, grimacing when his twin swayed on his feet and leaned heavily against him. It was then that he realized how close he was standing to the rabbit who was a lot taller than he had expected. A blush spread across his face.  
_

_Matthew chuckled slightly, lips twitching into a grin before opening his mouth to speak._

“James, you need to wake up,” the voice murmured as the spot next to James seemed to sink down slightly, causing the wolf’s eyes to finally flutter open.

It took a few moments for his eyes to focus in the dim light around him, but when he finally did, it was only to see a familiar violet gaze staring back at him, a relieved smile on the other male’s face. Taking a shuddering breath, James felt his face flush darkly before wincing at the spike of pain that suddenly traveled through his chest, causing his head to fall back against a pillow. His throat was sore and dry, breathing raspy as a coughs shook his frame.

Almost immediately, hands were on him, stroking his face soothingly and brushing his hair out of his face as he was pushed back against the bed when he tried to sit up. The rim of a cup was soon pressed against his lip. “Shh, take it easy. Drink some of this; it’ll make you feel better and help you heal,” Matthew murmured, as James sniffed and sipped lightly at the liquid within the cup, grimacing at the taste but drinking it nonetheless. It felt like forever since the wolf had last drank something warm.

Once James was finished, the rabbit set the cup to the side, continuing to stroke his slim fingers through the wolf’s strawberry blonde hair. “You really worried me. You’ve been out of it for a while…” Matthew paused, biting his lip and looking away. “…It’s been forever since I last saw you. I thought that you had died…”

James’s eyes fluttered slightly, a shiver running through him at the touch. “…I thought you were dead too…” he managed to croak out, covering his mouth as he coughed. Rubbing his eyes, he glanced around the sparsely decorated room with a fire crackling nearby, pushing himself up onto his elbows. The blanket that was covering his chest slid down, revealing the white bandages wrapped around his otherwise bare torso. Oh. Eyes widening slightly, the wolf glanced over at Matthew. “Your arm… Is it okay?”

Blinking, Matthew nodded, gingerly rubbing his upper arm. “Yeah. I’m okay. Mainly just tore my shirt, but other than that, you didn’t really hurt me that badly.”

Letting out a sigh, the wolf’s shoulders relaxed as he slumped back against the bed, eyes drifting closed. “That’s…good.”

“Umm…” Matthew’s voice caused James’s eyes to open once again. “I have some fish cooking if you want it. I know you’re probably hungry and need to eat to heal.”

“Yeah… Yeah. That would be good…”

Matthew smiled gently at James, petting the wolf ears before moving to stand up. Biting his lip, James grasped the other’s hand before the rabbit could move away. Matthew raised an eyebrow, one of his ears tilting to the side.

Clearing his throat, James glanced away awkwardly, murmuring a small “thanks” before letting go of Matthew’s hand.

“You’re welcome, Jamie. I’m just doing what I can to help you… Just try to do what you can to rest and heal up, okay? I’ll try to make sure that Alf doesn’t bother you too much…”

Both of them fell silent for a few moments, distant memories fresh in both of their minds as their gazes locked briefly. Relief was evident in both of their expressions that the other was alive. Matthew hummed softly as he turned away first, busying himself with preparing food for his friend.

James sighed softly, curling up under the blanket with a deep blush across his cheeks, eyes drifting closed. It felt…nice having someone to be able to take care of him. It almost…reminded him of the times when Thomas would take care of him after he’d gotten into a fight with one of the other pack members. There was something more…satisfying about it when it was Matthew taking care of him though. He just didn’t know why that was just yet, oblivious to the warm fluttering sensation in his chest as he drifted into the depths of unconsciousness once again.


	3. In the Summer Heat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which James and Matthew remember lazy summers by the lake, and someone returns.

_ The summer heat pressed in around them. It was nearly smothering. The water of the lake offered a refreshingly cool contrast to the surrounding air as the wolf and rabbit swam and splashed about. A decade had passed since the two of them had first met that fateful day at the bottom of the ravine. They had eventually grown close over the years, both of them managing to sneak away from their families in order to spend time together. Both of them cherished the time that they had spent together in their own little world that disregarded the differences in their species. Whoever said that a wolf and a rabbit couldn’t be friends? _

_ Stretching, James swam back to the shore, sprawling out lazily on the bank and closing his eyes with a sigh as the water droplets rolled along his torso before dripping onto the ground around him. This was nice. The warm sunshine, the cool waters, the gentle breeze… The pleasant company… He was convinced that he could stay here like this forever. _

_ Peeking open an eye as he heard someone flop down beside him, the teen wolf couldn’t stop the smile that flickered onto his lips when he glanced over at Matthew, his tail wagging slightly on the ground beside him. _

_ Matthew smiled, twisting onto his side to be able to reach out and smooth his fingers along the wolf’s ear, earning a pleased hum and tail wag from James. “This is really nice, eh?” the rabbit murmured, almost tentative to break the comfortable silence that had settled between them. _

_ “Mm… It is… It’d be nice if we got to spend more time together like this…” the wolf responded after a few moments, reaching up his hand to rest it on top of Matthew’s hand that had stilled in its petting. Their gazes locked, causing a blush to form across both of their faces. _

_ They were friends. And yet they were so much more. They were closer than two beings of their kind should naturally be. A wolf and a rabbit shouldn’t have been able to be so emotionally and platonically connected to each other, but these two had somehow managed to transgress the normal unwritten social bounds of their species. They shared ten years of memories with one another, and they didn’t want to stop their meetings anytime soon. _

_ Matthew just barely had enough time to notice the smirk that flashed onto James’s lips before the rabbit suddenly found his back pressed against the ground, arms pinned just above his head as the wolf straddled his waist. _

_ “Gotcha,” James mumbled softly, mirth glimmering in his eyes and that ridiculously cocky smirk on his face that made Matthew’s face burn crimson and breath become caught in his throat. It always boggled Matthew’s mind that James always seemed completely oblivious to the effect that he had on the rabbit. _

_ The rabbit’s gaze lingered on the other’s face before trailing down across the wolf’s bare chest and torso, appreciating the view of his toned muscles and sun-kissed skin. Biting his lip, he glanced up through his eyelashes. James had grown up well and matured over the years. He’d filled out and become more muscular. He certainly wasn’t the little pup that Matthew once knew. “That’s no fair, Jamie… I wasn’t expecting you to jump my bones so soon,” he teased lightly, a small shiver running down his spine at the darkening of the blonde’s blush. His eyebrows scrunched together in confusion, however, as an incomprehensible emotion flashed through those violet wolf eyes. _

_ James chewed on his lip, staring down at the rabbit whose face was a deep red, his honey blonde hair messy from their swim. Licking his lips and swallowing thickly, he leaned down, pressing his nose against the other’s throat and inhaling Matthew’s scent. A low groan rumbled in his chest, lips drawing back as he nipped lightly at the rabbit’s neck, a surprised gasp leaving Matthew’s mouth. James pulled away from Matthew’s throat to be able to look into the other’s eyes with a questioning gaze, his grip on the other’s arms loosening. _

_ Biting his lip, Matthew slipped his arms free, placing his hands on either side of the wolf’s face and pulling him forward, their lips smashing together awkwardly. For a moment, both of them remained frozen in place, uncertain of what to do or how the other would end up reacting. It was James that moved first, his hands sliding up and grasping the rabbit’s damp honey blonde locks, tilting his head to deepen the kiss. _

_ It was then that Matthew finally relaxed, wrapping his arms around the wolf and grasping at his broad, muscled shoulders, his nails digging in slightly. It only made a moan slip from James’s lips, followed by a small playful growl as he nibbled on Matthew’s bottom lip. A shiver trailed down his spine, back arching as he quickly opened his mouth, granting the wolf access, their tongues quickly clashing, swirling and rubbing together. _

_ Groaning quietly as both of them were rapidly becoming breathless, Matthew trailed his nails down James’s back, hands moving to cup the wolf’s ass and giving it a squeeze. James gave a deep groan that was muffled against their lips, his hips involuntarily bucking forward only to elicit moans from both parties as their semi-hard erections ground together through the wet fabric of their underwear. _

_ “F-Fuck, that feels good…” Matthew groaned, panting as James trailed open-mouthed kisses along his jaw and neck. A smirk spread across the rabbit’s lips as he kneaded the wolf’s butt with his hands, causing James to thrust his hips forward in time with each squeeze, the friction and heat between their groins growing as the rabbit moaned, his own hips jerking upwards against James’s, faster and faster. So close to their releases, yet still so far. _

_ “M-Mm… M-Matthew… I… Will you be my mate?” James gasped out, flushed face burying into the rabbit’s chest, his entire body shivering from the waves of pleasure that continued to course through him as their now painfully hard erections continued to grind against each other. _

_ The sudden declaration and question caught Matthew off-guard, his breath catching in his throat as he immediately froze in his actions. Looking down at James, the rabbit swallowed thickly, mouth opening and closing as he attempted to force words out. James loved him? And wanted to be mates? But they were different species! Matthew shook his head to push that thought away. It didn’t matter if they were different. They had been friends, and slightly more than friends, for a while now. That wouldn’t stop. _

_ A warmth spread through the rabbit’s chest at the thought of spending more time with James. Taking care of each other. Bathing together. Sharing a bed. Kissing and cuddling...and fucking. Perhaps it was just the horny state of his mind at that moment, but it felt like a very good idea. _

_ “I--” was all that Matthew managed to respond before the sudden sound of someone crashing through the undergrowth of the nearby forest caused both of them to tense and look in the direction of the disturbance. _

_ The moment that Thomas stumbled out onto the shore of the lake nearby, panting and exhausted from the run with worry in his eyes and not even bothering to make a lewd comment about his brother’s situation, James automatically knew that there was something wrong. The sense of dread that filled his chest when his twin spoke only served to confirm his fear. “Jamie. Trouble at home. You need to get back there. Now. Dad’s pissed…” It was only then that the blonde wolf noticed the dark swelling that was forming across his brother’s cheek. _

_ “Shit…” James growled, pushing himself off of Matthew and hurrying over awkwardly to their pile of clothes, quickly yanking on his pants and shirt before carrying the rabbit’s clothes over to Matthew, who was now sitting up. Kneeling down, James pressed a quick kiss to the other’s lips before hurrying after where Thomas had disappeared into the woods. Pausing at the edge of the trees, the wolf raised a hand in parting before vanishing from Matthew’s sight into the trees. _

_ The rabbit flushed darkly, flopping backwards against the ground and staring up into the bright summer sky. That was...definitely something. Bringing his fingers to his lips, Matthew exhaled shakily. He never got the chance to tell James his answer either. Groaning and rolling onto his side, he covered his face with his clothes. That was when he realized that he was still hard. “Dammit…” _

_ It was hours later after Matthew had gotten rid of his problem with mild difficulty, the sun beginning to set as he still laid on the shore of the lake, that he heard a rustling at the edge of the woods. His ears perked up, hope bubbling in his chest that James had managed to slip away from home to come back and see him again. Maybe even continue where they had left off? _

_ Instead, it was the voice of his own brother and sister ringing out, panic in their voices. “Mattie! Hey, Mattie Bro, where are you?” _

_ Forcing himself to a stand and brushing off his clothes, he swallowed thickly, raising an arm and waving when he spotted the two heads of golden blonde hair, noticing the visible relief across their features as the two ran over and enveloped him in a hug. “We were so worried about you, dude. It’s… It’s awful…” Alfred choked out, burying his face into his older brother’s shoulder. If he noticed James’s lingering wolf scent, he didn’t say anything. _

_ Their fifteen year old sister Adelaide sniffled, rubbing at her eyes as tears streamed down her cheeks and her long ears drooped. What she said next made his heart shatter. “They… They took her. The wolves took Nikki… She’s gone...” she sobbed, latching onto Matthew’s shirt and trembling. _

_ Matthew glanced over at his twin brother, who simply nodded and rubbed at his own eyes, trying desperately not to break down in tears. Their youngest sibling, Nicolette, had been only nine years old and they had all spoiled her and loved her greatly. Now...she was gone forever. All because of some wolves. _

_ “We… We thought that they might’ve gotten you too since you weren’t home yet… So we came out looking for you just to make sure…” Alfred explained quietly, more subdued than he usually was, but the situation was understandable. _

_ Swallowing thickly, Matthew nodded. “Let’s… Let’s go home… Before it gets too much later…” he murmured, grasping onto his brother’s and sister’s hands before beginning to lead them back into the woods towards their warren. Matthew paused briefly, looking back over his shoulder at the lake before hurrying onward. He’d have to go back tomorrow and speak to James. _

_ The next day, when the rabbit did return, he waited. And waited. And waited. For James to come visit like he normally did. But the wolf never came. That evening, Matthew went home with pain in his heart. Maybe...he was just busy or couldn’t get away to come visit. His brother did say that there were problems arising at their home with their father, so perhaps that was why he didn’t come back. Yeah, perhaps that was the reason. So Matthew went back the next day...and the next...and the next, waiting for James to come back. Days turned into weeks as summer dragged on, the air becoming cooler as autumn was on the verge of setting in. But James never came back, and Matthew soon gave up hope that the wolf ever would. _

James sighed as he stretched out in the grass, closing his eyes as spring sunshine warmed his skin. Weeks had passed since he and Matthew had found each other once again, the rabbit taking him into his home to heal his wounds. They didn’t talk about their past. They didn’t talk about what had happened between them five years prior. In all honesty, they didn’t talk much at all besides minor small talk. The wolf seemed to stay in a vow of silence that not even Alfred’s constant talking could break other than one or two sentences, which mainly consisted of James telling the energetic rabbit to shut up.

Winter had passed, and the deep wounds on the wolf’s chest had healed finally, leaving behind three deep scars across his torso. Other than that and an ever-present sense of hunger gnawing at his gut, he was fine. The warmer weather helped to drive out the chill that had settled into the depths of his bones ever since that day that he was exiled from his pack and forced to wander throughout the snowy woods in the dead of winter. The warmth was a nice change though sometimes it would feel as if he would never truly be warm again.

His ears twitched as someone approached where he was lying, flopping down beside him in the grass and letting out a sigh. Peeking open an eye, James glanced over, noticing it was Matthew. The faintest smile flickered across his lips. “Hey…” he murmured softly, rolling onto his side and pillowing his head on one of his arms.

Matthew smiled down at the wolf, instinctively reaching out and smoothing his fingers across James’s ears. “Hey yourself. What are you doing out here?” the rabbit asked, looking out over the rest of the meadow.

James hummed softly, eyes slipping closed. “Just...thinking.”

“About?”

“You.”

Matthew blinked in mild surprise, pausing in his petting of the wolf’s ears. “Oh.” That seemed like the only thing that he was capable of saying at the moment. Pursing his lips, he tilted his head, eyebrows scrunching together in thought. “...Is that good or bad?” he asked after a moment.

James chuckled softly, the corners of his lips pulling into a smirk. “It’s good. Very good.” Humming softly, he stretched his arms over his head, fingers tangling into the grass as he ripped a few of the blades out of the ground. “It’s...been a long time since then…” Rolling over onto his stomach, he crawled over to Matthew, draping himself across the other’s lap and pressing a kiss to his thigh. “...You never did answer my question…” he whispered, eyes slipping closed once again.

The rabbit couldn’t help the blush that spread over his cheeks, the memory of that day still seared into his mind. For multiple reasons. “Yeah… It has been…” he replied, pretending not to hear the other’s last statement, because honestly, Matthew wasn’t sure what his answer would be at this point. At the time when it was asked, he would’ve said yes, but after James going missing for five years without so much as a trace of his existence, it was needless to say that the rabbit was still slightly pissed off at him. He still hadn’t received an explanation for his disappearance ever since he had found James wounded in the woods that winter. “Maybe we need to talk…”

Raising an eyebrow, James looked up at Matthew, his expression worried. “I see…”

Worrying his lip, Matthew shrugged, looking out over the rest of the meadow and remaining silent as he attempted to form the correct words in his mind. The question slipped out before he could stop it. “...Why didn’t you ever come back…?”

Looking down at the wolf in his lap, he noticed the way that James grimaced and averted his gaze, and it only made the ache in his chest grow, worry gnawing at his heart. Had he just not been good enough for James? Had he decided that he didn’t want to be around Matthew anymore? Had he chosen to be with someone of his own kind?

Before Matthew had too much time to dwell on his worries, James reached up, cupping the other’s cheek with a hand and rubbing his thumb against the rabbit’s cheek. “I wanted to...but I couldn’t. They were watching me because they’d been noticing that I was...acting strangely and going off on my own a lot or I would be missing from certain pack things, and if I left the camp to try to come see you, I have no doubt in my mind that they would’ve tried to follow after me…” The wolf seemed to hesitate, looking away as he added softly, “That’s how they ended up finding your sister…and eventually the rest of your family… It’s because I tried to… I tried to find you and warn you that you would be in danger and to be careful… But it’s my fault that they’re dead… And I had thought that...you had ended up getting killed along with them, the day that it happened...which is why I never tried to come looking for you after that…”

The pain and heartache and guilt in the wolf’s voice nearly made Matthew’s heart end up breaking all over again. James blamed himself for the deaths of the rabbit’s family. James was staying away to protect him. James put himself in danger and trouble and had gotten himself hurt all to try to keep Matthew safe. James had been suffering from thinking that it was his fault that Matthew’s family was dead and that Matthew was also likely to be dead as well. It made the rabbit hurt at what the wolf went through because of their connection.

The wolf blinked in confusion as he felt a hand grip onto the front of his shirt, wet droplets splattering against his cheek. Twisting around to look up at Matthew, his eyes widened as he was suddenly pulled up into the other’s arms, their lips smashing together awkwardly. Yet somehow the touch made the wolf relax, his fingers tangling into Matthew’s blonde locks at the desperation-laced kiss.

Too long. It had been far too long since they had been wrapped up in each other in those final lazy summer days they had spent out by the lake together. Warm hands were soon wandering against each other, tugging and pushing at the clothing that was being deemed as an obstacle between them so they could explore the smooth skin of the torsos hidden beneath the fabric.

Too soon. Far too soon they had to break apart for air, the pair lying in the grass and panting for breath, the spring sunshine warming their skin as they stared at each other with new eyes. It was as though they were seeing each other for the first time. As if they were  _ truly _ seeing each other.

“Yes,” Matthew whispered with a small nod of his head, long golden ears bobbing as he proceeded to bury his head into James’s shoulder, peppering kisses along any exposed skin that he could find, the wolf’s tail thumping against the ground in the process.

“Yes?” James asked hesitantly, nearly holding his breath and hoping against hope that that meant what he thought that it meant.

Pulling back slightly, just enough to look at the wolf, Matthew gave James a watery smile, nodding enthusiastically. “Yes, I’ll be your mate.”

Before James could respond, the snapping of a branch nearby caught both of their attentions, the wolf letting out a nearly protective snarl as he wrapped an arm around Matthew’s waist and drew him closer against him. The familiar scent made him pause though, confused, because  _ surely _ that couldn’t be who he thought that it was.

“Fuck, do I always have to end up stumbling upon you two getting it on? Of all times, go figure, eh? Glad to see you missed me, at least,” came the sarcastic tone in the distance.

Eyes widening, James glanced over to see the smirking form of a particular brunette wolf that he hadn’t thought that he’d ever see again, violet eyes meeting hazel for a moment. “...Thomas?” It was definitely his brother, even if he was thinner, clothes and hair more ragged, and he looked far more exhausted than the last time that he’d seen the other wolf.

Thomas’s smirk widened substantially nevertheless. Mouth opening, whatever witty response had been on the tip of his tongue died off as a large thud resounded through the air, the wolf’s hazel eyes widening before falling shut as his body suddenly went limp, crumpling to the ground in a heap. Standing behind where Thomas had once been standing was an agitated Alfred, face red and panting from exertion, a large stick gripped in his hands.

“Dammit, Alfred,” Matthew hissed out, finally detangling himself from James and heading over to scold his younger brother, leaving the blonde wolf laying on the ground in a daze, blocking out the twin rabbits’ bickering.

Two realizations managed to come to the wolf through the shock: he and Matthew were now mates, and his brother was here. He couldn’t tell which was better.


End file.
